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ribcager's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Deliver my soul from the sword,
My darling from the power of the dog.”
One of these days you’ll get yours aplenty.
My darling from the power of the dog.”
One of these days you’ll get yours aplenty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Racism, Suicide, and Antisemitism
rhdj's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Racial slurs, and Suicide
Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny
mattybw's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Book 1 of 2024
The Power of the Dog was a Christmas present from my Mum after I asked for some surprise books I wouldn't usually read. My friend Jonas (IG: @jonahreads) recommended this on his book Insta page as a 10/10 book, and so my Mum bought it without knowing anything more about it.
I loved reading this! I felt super smart reading it as well (lol) as it's not the usual kind of novel I read - more aimed at an adult audience than the usual LGBTQIA+ YA that my reading diet usually consists of. I also usually struggle with immersing myself in historical fiction, especially if the writing style is slightly archaic - it takes me longer to understand what the author is trying to convey properly, and so I get more restless. Because I managed to overcome both of these points (or rather thanks to this), I felt rewarded with this stunning and descriptive portrait of how themes like society, homosexuality and family could manifest themselves in early-20th century America.
My only bémol was the pace, but I think this was probably simply a personal taste, and I understand how this probably added to the intrigue and the character development.
I would firmly recommend this book to everyone - especially as I enjoyed it so much for a book I wouldn't usually read!
I loved reading this! I felt super smart reading it as well (lol) as it's not the usual kind of novel I read - more aimed at an adult audience than the usual LGBTQIA+ YA that my reading diet usually consists of. I also usually struggle with immersing myself in historical fiction, especially if the writing style is slightly archaic - it takes me longer to understand what the author is trying to convey properly, and so I get more restless. Because I managed to overcome both of these points (or rather thanks to this), I felt rewarded with this stunning and descriptive portrait of how themes like society, homosexuality and family could manifest themselves in early-20th century America.
My only bémol was the pace, but I think this was probably simply a personal taste, and I understand how this probably added to the intrigue and the character development.
I would firmly recommend this book to everyone - especially as I enjoyed it so much for a book I wouldn't usually read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism and Murder
rachel1106's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A dark Western about two very different brothers, with plot details about characters and the enviornment around them, as well as the enviornment that they create, that keeps one interested, engaged, and full of tense questions of what will happen. All main characters are worthy of discussion. The writing is superb.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, and Classism
All is brief, there is mention of entrails and the resources of dead animals(hides, meat). You have to remember that this is a ranch. It's not a violent novel, but there are character thoughts of one thinking they're superior in the 1920s as a white man. Mild racism and sexism in those thoughts. Nothing too harsh, more so eye rolling. Author expresses these character flaws in a way that makes the reader aware that the character is the character, and it doesn't feel like the author is self imposing those thoughts into his character for the sake ofnecpressing himself, but telling a stoyr of the flaws to his character in the fictional world. It's not triggering. Suicide is apparent in this book, though. That's the most substantial element I would worry about when recommending. It's short, but unexpected, and the death is mentioned various times as it undoubtedly scars some other characters.gailcooksandreads's review against another edition
4.5
4.5 stars rounded up for this gorgeously-written, hidden gem of a classic novel that I never would have discovered had I not been seeking out books set in Montana for a 50-states challenge. I'm really looking forward to watching the movie adaptation on Netflix as it is also supposed to be excellent. It got a bit draggy in parts, hence the 4.5, but wowzers, I was floored at how good it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Homophobia, and Suicide
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Murder
violetturtledove's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was a great book, although for the most part i can't exactly say i enjoyed reading it. It's uncomfortable reading, the character of Phil is both intriguing and thoroughly hateable (in fact all of the characters are flawed and brilliantly observed). It's tense, and the narrative skips differently from one point of view or time to another (sometimes it goes from present to recollection, or jumps forward a month, without a clear indication in the text). This is a bit confusing, but also I think it keeps you hooked, wanting to know more.
Once you read the end you can suddenly look back at all the little hints and foreshadowing and then it hits you how clever the story really is
Once you read the end you can suddenly look back at all the little hints and foreshadowing and then it hits you how clever the story really is
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Antisemitism
mia_merrill's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Suicide, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Antisemitism, and Grief
Minor: Murder
seamoonstone's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism
wendel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Consider this dark study of characters was published in 1967: the devil is in the details. There’s a lot to explore for the curious reader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism and Antisemitism
booksthatburn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
THE POWER OF THE DOG is about manhood and homophobia in the last gasps of the Old West, following a rich cattle rancher and his brother as one starts to have a life outside of their duo and the other tries to make him miserable enough to stay.
If you liked the 2021 film of the same name, adapted from this text, then you’ll probably like the book. The main changes are consolidations; placing some events as backstory instead of showing them as the book does, collapsing two side events into one, and to move Phil’s bigotry into fewer targets. The rest of this review contains minor spoilers, as it’s impossible to discuss what makes this so good without talking about some of what happens in it.
Phil is an odious person, a homophobic man who has based his hygiene and personal habits around as many opposites to his idea of a gay man in his era (clean, well-dressed, quiet, liking womanly things) that he possibly can. The end result is someone who bathes once a month (not at all in the winter), refuses to wear gloves (not even when castrating cattle and doing all the other bloody, messy work required to drive cattle and run a ranch), and uses his exceptionally sharp mind to whittle down the confidence of anyone who catches his ire (usually in language dripping with bigotry of whatever kind will sting the most). His closest relationship is with his brother George, a closeness which assumes George would never request distance and leaves Phil frustrated when George falls in love and marries a widow. He’s also enamored with his long-dead mentor in all things cowboy; Bronco Henry, talking up his wisdom and exploits to the ranch hands even two decades on from Bronco Henry’s death.
George meets and marries Rose, a widow whose husband killed himself early on in the book, years before the main story. Their son is strange, eventually assumed by Phil to be gay, called a sissy for his arrangements of paper flowers and way of dressing and walking. The boy’s quiet study of medical texts and dissections of animals hum along in the background, eventually he attends medical school with the help of his late father’s books. His actual sexuality is secondary to Phil’s perception of it, seeing the boy as weakness walking, the embodiment of everything Phil despises even as he eventually longs for connection again.
Phil’s homophobia is one of a pile of bigotries which he wields like barbs when he’s irritated or inconvenienced. He most common method of addressing his brother is “Fatso”, and when Rose starts drinking in an attempt to stomach living in the same house as him, he belittles her for it, taking it as proof that she’s just taking advantage of his brother. His every action drips condemnation, that if someone has chosen to do what Phil would not, then they must be weak or scheming and their choice is contemptible.
The audiobook narrator’s calm tone is perfect for this dryly delivered story which builds slowly, layers of time pooling to form the whole. The ending is quiet, managing to tie together everything in a single calm moment. It’s a resolution that feels like life, where one phase can unquestionably be over even as everything else continues on.
If you liked the 2021 film of the same name, adapted from this text, then you’ll probably like the book. The main changes are consolidations; placing some events as backstory instead of showing them as the book does, collapsing two side events into one, and to move Phil’s bigotry into fewer targets. The rest of this review contains minor spoilers, as it’s impossible to discuss what makes this so good without talking about some of what happens in it.
Phil is an odious person, a homophobic man who has based his hygiene and personal habits around as many opposites to his idea of a gay man in his era (clean, well-dressed, quiet, liking womanly things) that he possibly can. The end result is someone who bathes once a month (not at all in the winter), refuses to wear gloves (not even when castrating cattle and doing all the other bloody, messy work required to drive cattle and run a ranch), and uses his exceptionally sharp mind to whittle down the confidence of anyone who catches his ire (usually in language dripping with bigotry of whatever kind will sting the most). His closest relationship is with his brother George, a closeness which assumes George would never request distance and leaves Phil frustrated when George falls in love and marries a widow. He’s also enamored with his long-dead mentor in all things cowboy; Bronco Henry, talking up his wisdom and exploits to the ranch hands even two decades on from Bronco Henry’s death.
George meets and marries Rose, a widow whose husband killed himself early on in the book, years before the main story. Their son is strange, eventually assumed by Phil to be gay, called a sissy for his arrangements of paper flowers and way of dressing and walking. The boy’s quiet study of medical texts and dissections of animals hum along in the background, eventually he attends medical school with the help of his late father’s books. His actual sexuality is secondary to Phil’s perception of it, seeing the boy as weakness walking, the embodiment of everything Phil despises even as he eventually longs for connection again.
Phil’s homophobia is one of a pile of bigotries which he wields like barbs when he’s irritated or inconvenienced. He most common method of addressing his brother is “Fatso”, and when Rose starts drinking in an attempt to stomach living in the same house as him, he belittles her for it, taking it as proof that she’s just taking advantage of his brother. His every action drips condemnation, that if someone has chosen to do what Phil would not, then they must be weak or scheming and their choice is contemptible.
The audiobook narrator’s calm tone is perfect for this dryly delivered story which builds slowly, layers of time pooling to form the whole. The ending is quiet, managing to tie together everything in a single calm moment. It’s a resolution that feels like life, where one phase can unquestionably be over even as everything else continues on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Racism, Xenophobia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Suicide, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy